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Monday, 3 February 2014

Blog Tour & Giveaway: Coven of the Courtesan by Yolanda Shoshana

I received a copy of Coven of the Courtesan in exchange for my review.

Bast is a witch with a tendency towards magic using scents and oils. She is also tipped to become the CEO of the company she works for. But things don't always go as planned, and a surprise takeover leads to Bast having to share the role with playboy Rammennis, and despite her best efforts, Bast can't help but find him attractive.

This is just a short novella but it has most definitely whet the appetite for more from the series. Think along the lines of a romance book set in the media business setting and then add a sprinkle of magic. The blend works, though seeing more magic in future would be good!

Bast was a strong female character, a shrewd business woman who made it clear that though she doesn't need a man, it doesn't stop her having one. In fact the two other witches seemed to be the same.

Coven of the Courtesan
follows a coven of witches in New York City who bring back the magick and art
of the courtesan. Come on the adventures of Bast, Lola, and Pixie as they take
you on a journey that looks like Charmed meets Sex in the City.

Coven of the Courtesan,
Book 1- The Courtesan Chronicles Series

Bast Buchanan is about
to become CEO of Spellbound Entertainment until the Ewing family swoops down
and buys the company. She never saw this coming.

Ramennis Ewing expects
to run his father’s new conquest and take over the family media empire. He is
ready to prove there is more to him than what is in the press.

When Bast is asked to
work side by side with roving playboy, Ramennis, can she continue to keep her
guard up with this new enemy, one of the sexiest men she has ever met or does
her coven have to open up a can of power of three on him. Just who will seduce
whom?

*The mixed media
novelette series contains real magick and spells.

Excerpt:

As Bast Buchanan got closer,
she could see the shadow of a man standing in the distance and hear a voice
whispering something that she could not make out. All she could tell was that
it was a woman’s voice.

"Hello, can you hear me,
you called to me,” stated Bast.

The whispering continued and
the words flowed faster. Walking over debris in the darkness, Bast moved closer
to the voice speaking to the person who was calling out to her. "What are
you trying to tell me, can you speak louder?” Darkness and echos filled the
space. From the corners of her eyes, Bast could see other spirits moving around
her, but she was focused on the voice that was speaking to her.

Every step she took, she began
to make out words "By the kissing...." then the words turned back
into a whisper. As Bast made it to the door she could see an older woman
dressed in a wild colorful outfit. She looked like a rainbow decided to have an
orgy all over her body. It was another one of the crazy characters on the lower
astral plane connecting with her. Quite often she exercised her witch super
powers by astral projecting. There was no telling what or who she would bump
into on the astral plane.

"Hello, do you have a
message for me or do you need help,” questioned Bast.

"By the kissing of my
thumbs something sexy this way comes." said the women with a slight grin
on her face. Bast was not sure that the lady meant. She was familiar with the
original quote "by the pricking of my thumbs something wicked this way
comes" from the witches in Macbeth.

"Ma’am, I don't..."
as Bast started to talk, the older lady repeated herself "by the kissing
of my thumb, something sex this way comes, you won't know what hit you,”
laughed the old lady.

Bast was getting a little
creeped out. As she started to move closer to the lady, a black cat jumped on
her back. All of sudden Bast was on the Upper East Side of Manhattan in her
luxury apartment from her outer body experience. It was time for her to get up
and get on her grind. When she tended to stay past her time to rise, her
midnight black cat, Kinky, would travel to the astral plane to bring her back.

"Kinky, get your damn
tail out of my face. Really, when you come to get me from the plane, can you
not jump on me.” Kinky, her diva cat gave a soft me meow as she walked away
with her tail sticking straight in the air.

As she sat up in her bed she
thought about what the older woman said. It did not make sense. The ring of the
telephone caused her to leave her train of thoughts.

"How's my favorite new
CEO, today is your big day," said the voice on the other side. It was one
of her best friends, Lola Martinez. Every morning they called we other to kick
off the day.

"Nothing has been decided,
they could go another way.”

"As if,” they said in
unison and started laughing.

"Save your lunch plans
for me and Pixie. We are going to celebrate with champagne and all the fixins.
Call me when the deal is sealed. Besos." said Lola as she hung up the
phone.

Bast looked at the clock, she
was running late. Pushing the black satin sheets aside, she felt a rush of
energy when her milk chocolate toes hit the plush carpet. She looked over at
the corner where Kinky was lounging on a chair throwing her tail back and
forth. Bast blew her an air kiss, which Kinky ignored. They had a strong
telepathic connection so they tended to communicate with each other through
actions and not words. The cat was the animal totem for Bast which was
appropriate since her name was inspired by the Egyptian cat goddess. After she
stepped out of the shower, she started her morning witch ritual. To begin, she
sprayed on the goddess magickal mist that she had conjured up with her coven.
Her beloved coven was known as the Coven of the Courtesan, it included her and
two other witches: Lola Martinez, the Latina firecracker/public relations guru
and the world famous blond starlet/syren, Pixie Peppermint Petersen. All three
of them were eclectic witches, meaning that they worked with many different
beliefs, rituals, and systems in their witchcraft. The magick of their coven
used sensual oils, herbs, and crystals. They were three witches who loved to
claim their divine feminine powers and sensuality which is why they choose to
bring back the art and magick of the courtesans who were thought to be witches
themselves.

About
the Author:

Yolanda Shoshana
("Shoshi") is a BadAss Bruja, Celebrity Clairvoyant, Courtesan
Curator, and Author. She helps people have amazing love, toe curling sex, and
unleash their magick.

Shoshi is the creatrix
of Bruja Bespoke, an apothecary for bodacious and sensuous women. When not
creating, conjuring, or interviewing, she can be found officiating wedding
ceremonies around New York.